One of the horror genre's "most widely read critics" (Rue Morgue # 68), "an accomplished film journalist" (Comic Buyer's Guide #1535), and the award-winning author of Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), John Kenneth Muir, presents his blog on film, television and nostalgia, named one of the Top 100 Film Studies Blog on the Net.

Sunday, March 06, 2016

At Flashbak: Star Trek Happy Meals (from McDonalds)

This
week, as part of my continuing celebration of Star Trek’s 50th
anniversary, I wrote, at Flashbak, about the McDonalds Happy Meals related to
the franchise.

“In
December of 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered in movie theaters. The 40
million dollar film was heavily merchandised through Mego but also --
surprisingly -- via McDonalds.

In
particular, the fast food restaurant introduced a Star Trek-themed Happy
Meal with delightful art from illustrator Ron Villani, and featuring a number
of games on the box for diners and pre-pubescent Trekkies to enjoy.

For
instance, you could play “connect the
dots” on one panel of the box, completing an image of the U.S.S. Enterprise
on the “viewer screen.”

Or,
on another panel you could solve a maze, helping to “guide the Enterprise through a meteor shower.”

The
Star
Trek Happy Meals also featured factoids about the Trek universe, and such
aspects as the Klingons or the Federation.
Amusingly, the Federation was described as overseeing “the universe” and keeping peace there.

That’s
a big job!

Some
panels on the McDonalds Star Trek Happy Meals also recreated
in comic-book format scenes from the movie, for example the destruction of the
Klingons by the space ‘cloud,’ or a report by Starfleet outpost Epsilon 9 that
it was on a direct course for Earth.

The
boxes also featured Klingon Code to break, and bad jokes.

What
do you call a sick Klingon?

An
ailing alien!

Finally,
the happy meals also came with a toy: a small plastic, silver communicator…”

No comments:

Post a Comment

About John

award-winning author of 27 books including Horror Films FAQ (2013), Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), TV Year (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007), Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair (2006),, Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company (2004), The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi (2004), An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (2002), The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film & Television (2004), Exploring Space:1999 (1997), An Analytical Guide to TV's Battlestar Galactica (1998), Terror Television (2001), Space:1999 - The Forsaken (2003) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002).

Follow by Email

What the Critics Say...

"...some of the best writing about the genre has been done by John Kenneth Muir. I am particularly grateful to him for the time and attention he's paid to things others have overlooked, under-appreciated and often written off. His is a fan's perspective first, but with a critic's eye to theme and underscore, to influence and pastiche..." - Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, in the foreword to Horror Films FAQ (October 2013).

"Hands down, John Kenneth Muir is one of the finest critics and writers working today. His deep analysis of contemporary American culture is always illuminating and insightful. John's film writing and criticism is outstanding and a great place to start for any budding writer, but one should also examine his work on comic books, TV, and music. His weighty catalog of books and essays combined with his significant blog production places him at the top of pop culture writers. Johns work is essential in understanding the centrality of culture in modern society." - Professor Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Executive Director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College (2014).

"...an independent film scholar, [Muir] explains film studies concepts in a language that is reader-friendly and engaging..." (The Hindu, 2007)"...Muir's genius lies in his giving context to the films..." (Choice, 2007)